


Like Sunshine to the Ground

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: Disney Duck Universe, DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Blanket Permission, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Gen, Meet the Family, Pie, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24411466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: Daisy's first date with Donald is a little unconventional. There's meeting  the family, the extended family, more kids than expected, possible laser-birds, the World's Richest Duck, the ghost, the alien invaders, the alien not-invader, and also pie.It's worth it though.
Relationships: Daisy Duck/Donald Duck
Comments: 23
Kudos: 255





	Like Sunshine to the Ground

* * *

_Daisies are like sunshine to the ground._  
-Drew Barrymore

* * *

To say that Daisy was nervous about meeting the rest of Donald’s family was a bit of an understatement. She hadn’t thought twice about accepting his invitation to meet the rest of his family until he’d given her the address, at the top of Killmotor Hill, and told her to just let them know who she was at the gate. 

Which was how she’d learned that Donald was related to Scrooge McDuck. And he lived at McDuck Manor. 

She knew who Scrooge was and where he lived of course, she’d lived in Duckburg most of her life. She’d seen the Time-phoon with her own eyes, the giant beanstalk that had divided the city in half for a couple of days, and experienced both the ‘Shadow War’, and the Moon Invasion. 

Supposedly each of those was just a _normal_ day for the McDuck family. 

A casual word from Scrooge McDuck could make or break someone in Duckburg. And she was going on a date in his house with his nephew. She shivered as she drove up to the giant metal gates. If this went horribly wrong, well, she didn’t want to think about the worst case scenario. 

It probably involved assassins. 

The mansion and grounds were as imposing as she’d always thought, seeing it from a distance. She swallowed as she watched several peacocks fly by, strutting by the front gates. Knowing what little she did about the family, they could just as easily be murder robots with laser beaks as real birds. She took a deep breath, and pressed the button for the intercom next to the gates. 

“Yes?” A brusque female voice demanded. 

“Hi, I’m Daisy Duck.” She said. “I’m here to see Donald?” 

“Of course.” The voice was a lot gentler in response, and Daisy supposed that they got a lot of people trying to talk their way in, much the way that she’d had to defend Ms. Glamour from people. The gates jolted, then opened. “He’ll be waiting for you at the front of the Manor. Just follow the road.” 

“Thank you.” Daisy nodded, then started the car. The peacocks moved, heads turning as they watched her drive past. 

Yeah. She was betting on them having laser beaks.

Her small car’s engine didn’t appreciate the steep climb of the hill up to the front of the mansion, but they both made it in one piece. She came to a stop in front of manor as instructed, and stepped out, noticing the large plane parked on the side of the manor, next to what looked like a garage. 

She’d thought working with Ms. Glamour was high class, but even Ms. Glamour didn’t have a plane parked on her property like it was a car. She went to the airport like everyone else, and then complained about being stuck among the plebeians. 

Daisy took a deep breath, straightening her dress. She’d made it just for today, wanting to make a good impression. It was deep vibrant blue, similar colour as Donald’s eyes. It’d made her feel regal when she’d tried it on, but now she wondered if it was enough. 

No. It was enough. _She_ was enough. She was Daisy Duck. And Daisy Duck didn’t back down. 

Head held high, Daisy walked up the steps to the tall imposing manor, and raised her hand to knock. The door opened before her knuckles could make contact, and she stared up a hovering glowing beagle dressed in a butler’s uniform. He had a dry, vaguely disapproving look on his face. 

A ghost. A ghost _butler_. Okay, so she hadn’t quite been prepared for that. “Oh.” Daisy managed to get out, her throat suddenly dry. “... Hi.” 

“ _Thank_ you, Duckworth.” The voice from the intercom said, and gigantic formidable looking woman with shoulders broader than Daisy was tall appeared. “I’ll take it from here.” 

“Of course.” The ghost said, giving her a quick sly wink, just a hint of a mischievous smile curling his lip as he floated upwards to the ceiling and disappeared. 

“He wanted first dibs on getting to meet you.” The woman stated, a bit of droll humour in her tone as she adjusted her glasses. “I’m Mrs. Beakley, the housekeeper. It’s a pleasure to meet you. The children had only good things to say about you.” 

“Glad to hear it.” Daisy held out a hand. She’d liked Donald’s kids too, the little she’d seen of them. “I’m Daisy.” 

Mrs. Beakley took it, shaking it with a strong grasp. It wasn’t enough to crush the bones in Daisy’s hand, but it left her with the impression that the housekeeper could pick her up with one hand and throw her across the massive yard and over the fence if need be. 

“Please, do come in.” Mrs. Beakley held the door open, motioning for Daisy to come inside. She did, trying not to gawk at the size of the front room, or the way that gold and jewels were left haphazardly in decorative bowls in the room, as if placed there and forgotten. 

“Daisy!” Donald’s rough voice called, and she turned towards him with a smile, the grandness of the room forgotten as he jogged towards her. “You made it!” 

“Of course.” Daisy smiled, her heart fluttering happily in her chest as he clasped her hand in both of his. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” He looked at her, then at her dress with a gobsmacked expression. “Wow. You look amazing! Did you make it?” 

He definitely knew how to flatter a lady, that was for sure. “I did.” She took her hand from his for a moment to give a little spin so he could see the whole thing, pleased at the way the skirt flared out as she moved.

“It’s lovely.” Donald said sincerely as she rested her hand back in his. He looked delighted to be just holding her hand, and she felt the same spark of warmth that she’d felt when she’d heard him sing. She didn’t know how he did it, but she felt safe and comfortable just by being around him. 

They were jolted out of the moment by a crashing noise and shouts from upstairs. Donald sighed, shoulders drooping for a moment before he shook his head and raised his voice. “KIDS!” 

“One second!” A young voice called, followed by the sound of not very hushed talking, then a stampede of footsteps down the stairs. Four children appeared, one girl and three boys, all looking like they could have come out of the same egg.

Donald gave them all a suspicious look. “Absolutely nothing was broken.” The one in red blurted. 

“Uh-huh.” Donald drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Or if it was, you can’t prove it.” The one green said. Daisy thought she remembered him from the party. There’d been two at the party, she’d thought. The green one and the blue one. Although there being four kids was a _bit_ of a surprise.

Donald just shook his head. “Kids, I’d like you to meet Daisy Duck.” He motioned to her, then to the children. “Daisy, my kids. Kids, manners.”

“We met because we crashed her party.” The one in green said, verifying they had met before. “I’m pretty sure we can’t make a worse introduction now.” 

“Oh! You’re the lady from the Glamour Party that kicked Graves’ butt after he hit Uncle Donald!” The girl bounced on her feet. “Hi! I’m Webby! I loved your dress! Did you make it especially for fighting?! Are you a fashion designer? Do you make clothes to look awesome in while defeating bad guys?!” 

“Thank you.” Daisy blinked, taken back by the torrent of words. “I did make it, although I didn’t make it with fighting in mind. That’s a good idea though.” That was definitely a niche market that she could certainly design for. 

There was probably a fair demand for it as well. The McDuck clan weren’t the only adventurers out there. 

“Cooool!” Webby squeaked, looking excited. Donald smiled indulgently at her antics. 

“The boys are Huey-” The red one waved awkwardly. “-Dewey-” The blue one who’d had the yo-yo at the party grinned at her and clicked finger guns in her direction. “-and Louie.” 

“Pleasure.” Louie gave her a tired grin. 

“What is the blasted Shield of Perseus doing in the hallway?!” An angry cry came from upstairs. “The nose is dented in and now it’s more hideous than before! What you kids doing?! Using it to go sledding down the blasted stairs?!” 

All four kids flinched. “Can’t prove it.” Dewey said quickly. 

“Technically, it wasn’t sledding.” Webby gave them a weak smile, fiddling with her hair. “It was surfing.” 

“ _Webby_!” Louie hissed, making a shushing motion, and Webby ducked her head. 

Which meant that instead of sitting down as they were riding the shield down the stairs, they were standing on top of it while riding the shield down the stairs. Donald muttered something under his breath, covering his face with his free hand. 

“I’ve got it.” Mrs. Beakley said, giving the children a stern look. Daisy jumped a little bit, she’d almost forgotten that the large woman was standing there. “ _Children_. Upstairs, now.” 

“Yes, Mrs. Beakley.” The boys chorused. 

“Okay, Granny.” Webby warbled at the same time. 

Mrs. Beakley gestured for the kids to go back up the stairs and they obediently went. Webby and Dewey seemed to make it a race, the pink-bowed girl backflipping her way up the stairs before pulling out a grappling gun and zipping away, Dewey complaining about the grappling gun as he chased after. No one seemed to find her methods of transportation strange. 

“Who is the lady?” Huey whispered to Louie, gesturing back towards her as they followed at a slower pace. 

Daisy didn’t hear the answer, but it was hard to miss the loud incredulous shout that followed. “What do you mean Uncle Donald has a _DATE?!_ He **never** dates!”

Donald flinched slightly. Mrs. Beakley just sighed and followed after, giving Donald a look over her shoulder. “There’s an extra dinner for the both of you in the kitchen if you need it.”

“I can cook!” Donald protested, looking annoyed. 

“Not questioning that.” Mrs. Beakley briskly informed him. “It’s in case of everything else.” 

Donald deflated. “Yeah, okay. Fair.” He shrugged. “Thanks, Mrs. B.” 

“Have a pleasant evening.” She nodded, walking up the stairs with the kind of steel-spined grace Daisy kind of wished she could emulate. 

“‘Everything else’-?” Daisy asked, looking over at Donald. 

He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck before gesturing to the mansion in general. “In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s… um. Rarely quiet here.” 

Daisy thought about everything she’d seen just within the past few minutes. Ghost butler. Housekeeper that looked like she bench pressed cars. Four kids, one of whom apparently was a ninja in training. And she still hadn’t met Scrooge McDuck yet. 

She wondered if this was normal, or slow. 

“It can be a bit much.” Donald shrugged a shoulder, looking a little nervous and defeated. “If it gets overwhelming, I don’t blame you for heading out.” He motioned over his shoulder, where her car was parked right next to the front door, where she could easily find it again. 

She hadn’t known Donald for long, but what she’d learned from him thus far was that he was speaking the truth. He wouldn’t blame her. But she might blame herself. 

“Not too much.” Daisy reached over and squeezed his hand. “Anyone else to introduce me to?” 

“Not immediately.” Donald assured her, tugging her gently into the room, shifting his grip so their arms were linked. “It’s a big house, but there’s really not a lot of people here. I figured we could eat at my place. It’s cosier.”

“Your place?” Daisy inquired as they walked. She’d thought that he lived in the manor. As he’d stated, there was a lot of room here. 

“The boys and I lived on my houseboat until this past year.” Donald explained. “It’s in the back.” 

“I wondered about that.” Daisy mused. “Webby called Mrs. Beakley ‘Granny’, but the boys called her by name.” 

“We got Webby when we moved in.” Donald shrugged a shoulder. “Technically, she’s Mrs. Beakley’s granddaughter, but she’s still one of my kids.” There was grit in his voice, like he’d fight anyone who said otherwise with his bare fists.

Webby called him Uncle Donald, just like the boys did. Daisy smiled, walking a little closer, so their shoulders brushed, and he blushed, just a little bit. 

It’d been a long time since she’d met anyone as sincere as Donald, and the more she learned about him, the more she found herself charmed. 

“Donnie!” A bright voice chirped and Donald muttered something that sounded uncomplimentary under his breath. “Who is this lovely vision?”

Daisy turned to find a woman who bore more than a striking resemblance to Donald standing in the hallway. She was dressed as an aviator, from the goggles and cap on her head, down to scarf and the old-fashion leather flight jacket. The the robotic limb on her left leg was a bit odd though. 

“This is my twin sister, Della. She’s the boys’ Mom.” Donald gestured with his thumb, looking less than impressed. He turned to his sister. “You don’t get an introduction.” He said stubbornly. 

Daisy raised an eyebrow at Donald’s reaction. 

“Oh, come on.” Della stepped forward, looking at Daisy under her eyelashes, and she had the strange realisation that Donald’s sister was _flirting_ with her. “I’m sure we could all have a little fun together.” 

Donald moved between Daisy and Della. “Oh, no you don’t.” He waved a finger at his sister. “I _knew_ this would happen. You **always** try to steal my dates. Or try for three-somes, and that never ends well.”

… There was a _lot_ to unpack in that sentence there. 

Della looked unimpressed. “It’d work better if you were better at _sharing_ your dates.”

Donald growled in the back of his throat and Della smirked, looking triumphant. 

“Thank you.” Daisy said, stepping forward. “I’m flattered, but no.” 

The thing of it was that she _was_ kind of flattered. And if they’d asked her over a decade ago to be in the middle of a Duck Twin sandwich, well, she might have seriously considered that offer. But she wasn’t interested in it now. 

Della raised an eyebrow as Donald looked almost surprised at her reaction. Daisy smirked. “I prefer the duck I came in with.” She gave Donald’s arm a little tug. “Shall we?”

“Yeah.” Donald followed her, looking like she was the most amazing person he’d ever seen. Della waved, looking amused, then blew a kiss after them. 

“Sorry about that.” Donald muttered as he opened a side door, leading her outside. “I didn’t think she’d still be pulling that since she got back from the Moon.” 

He said it so casually, like it was a common thing, someone spending time on the moon. Daisy began to understand a little more about his family being ‘a bit much’. 

There was a houseboat sitting in the swimming pool, some suspended electrical cords connecting it to the house. The sight was a bit surreal, made more so by the fact that there were several scorch marks across the boat, and some obvious patches that made it look like it had been blown up and put back together again. 

“It’s not much.” Donald said with a small shrug, gesturing to the boat. “But it’s home.” 

“It’s got character, that’s for sure.” Daisy admitted as he escorted her to the gangplank, separating their arms. He laughed quietly as he started up the gangplank, which only had room for one at a time. “Been through a couple of adventures?” 

“More than a few.” Donald admitted wryly, jumping into the boat, then turning and offering her his hand. “And that’s not including the kids living here.” 

“You’ll have to tell me sometime.” Daisy smiled, taking his hand for balance as she stepped down onto the deck. If it was one thing she was learning, was that his life was not boring. 

He paused at the deck of the ship, giving her a look like she was the centre of the universe. “Only if you tell me some of yours.” 

She felt kind of small and dowdy, standing in the shadow of McDuck Manor, with all the riches and jewels, and gave a nervous laugh. “I’m sure they’re not as impressive-” Daisy started. 

“They’re _yours_.” Donald said simply. “I’d like to hear them.” 

He was so _genuine_ , it made her heart ache, just a little. It helped her find her ground again too. “Trade you?” Daisy offered with a small smile. “One for one.” 

“Deal.” He stuck a hand out and they shook on it. She laughed, suddenly feeling foolish for feeling intimidated by the McDuck household. 

“Come on.” Donald motioned for her to follow him, and he led her below decks, where a fairly normal living space was. As he’d stated, it was cozy, but it also felt like a home in a way the large manor didn’t.

“Have a seat.” Donald waved her towards the table, with the bench seats that could easily fit several people as long as they didn’t mind getting close. There were two place settings already on it, with an unlit candle off to the side. “I made dinner. Hope you’re alright with skabetti.” 

“Skabetti?” She echoed, amused as she sat down on the wood bench. 

Donald looked embarrassed. “Spaghetti.” He said, carefully enunciating through the rasp in his voice. “Huey had trouble saying it when the boys were younger, so we all called it ‘Skabetti’.” 

“It’s cute.” She grinned. “Honestly, I’m more impressed that you cook.” There were a lot of people that she knew who didn’t. And she’d dated a couple that thought cooking was solely her job, as a woman. That didn’t last long. 

“I raised three boys on my own for over a decade.” Donald shrugged, setting a bowl of mixed pasta and sauce down on the table, and then a seperate bowl of meatballs, serving it like how they ate dinner in Italy, with the pasta and the meat courses separately. “There’s a lot I learned to make. I’m better at baking, I’m still a decent cook.” 

There was a story there, like why had he raised them instead of Della, and why he’d done it alone on a houseboat instead of with the large extended family they had at the mansion. She wondered if it had something to do with Della being on the moon. 

“Anything I can do to help?” She asked as he bustled around the kitchen for a moment. 

“I got it. Thank you though.” Donald set a bottle of sparkling water on the table, then looked over it as if checking that he had everything. “The garlic bread!” He announced, running up the stairs to the upper deck in a minor panic. “I’ll be right back!” 

Daisy watched him go, somewhat surprised by the sudden disappearance, then chuckled softly. 

She was not expecting the heavy thud of as a pair of feet hit the ground. Daisy jumped a little as she realised that Della was standing there. 

“Hey.” Della clasped her hands in front of her, a nervous expression on her face. “I just wanted to apologise for back there.” 

“Apologise.” Daisy echoed icily, one eyebrow arching up. 

“It’s like this.” Della said, hands waving in the air. “When Donnie and I were growing up, I was popular in school, he... wasn’t. And sometimes people would try to take advantage of him, pretend to be his friend, to try and get money from Uncle Scrooge. So I learned early on that I could sort them out quickly with a little flirting, then take them down hard when Donald wasn’t looking. Donnie tends to see the good in people, and I don’t want to ruin that.” 

Being protective was a trait that ran in the family it appeared. 

“... And how many people passed your test?” Daisy hesitantly inquired. 

“Well, you.” Della smirked. “And from what the kids said, you met two of the others at the party. And that’s about it.”

It took her a moment to try to remember the names of the other two in Donald’s band. “Pachito and José?” 

“You got it.” Della grinned, bouncing on her toes. “Pachito seemed to understand, but José gave me quite the earful for it. Donald had a friend before my disappearance that I didn’t get a chance to vet, but he’d joke about not needing it cause ‘One’ had his back. We have some family friends too, Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy, but they don’t really count.” 

Well, that explained Donald raising the kids on his own, if Della had disappeared for a while.

“Wait, Minnie? Minnie Mouse?” There weren’t a lot of ‘Minnie’ around. Especially ones who hung around a Mickey. 

Della’s eyes went wide. “You know her?” 

“She was my roommate back in college!” Daisy laughed. “And if Mickey is the same as her boyfriend, I’ve met him too!” Multiple times in fact. They’d both wore her clothing to various events too. 

“Wait, you’re THAT Daisy?! Min used to talk about you all the time!” Della beamed, then clapped her hands. “Alright. The kids had excellent things to say about you, so I’ll tell the others that you’re good and not to pull the big guns out. Sorry about throwing everyone at you at once like that.” 

Daisy was suddenly a little worried about what the ‘big guns’ were, and if they were metaphorical or literal. “You’re very protective of him, aren’t you?”

“He’s _Donald_.” Della said simply. “He wants a normal life, but that’s not going to happen, cause we’re, well. _Us_. He loves us and protects us, how could we not do the same? And if you couldn’t put up with just greeting everyone, better to put a stop to it before it goes anywhere.” 

There was a bitter, tired tone to the last part that made Daisy almost want to ask if that’s what happened to the boys’ father. 

“Della!” Donald’s angry voice came from the entrance and Della looked guilty for a moment. He growled angrily as he came down the stairs, a tray of steaming garlic bread in his oven-mitted hands. “Why, you-“

“She was just apologising for earlier.” Daisy said, and both twins stopped and blinked at her in near perfect unison, their expressions mirrors of each other. 

“She was?!” Donald echoed, looking surprised as he glanced between Daisy and his sister. 

“Yup!” Della grinned, a little fakely. “See ya!” She waved and ran up the stairs. 

Donald sighed, looking tired. “Sorry about that.” He muttered. 

“Oh!” Della hung upside down from the entry. “Don’t forget, hurt my baby brother and I’ll drop you in a demon dimension where you won’t stop screaming for 6,000 years.” 

“DELLA!” 

“Bye now!” Della vanished. 

Daisy propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand. “You know. The funny thing is that I don’t doubt at all that she could do that.” 

“Oh, she doesn’t have the ability.” Donald snorted dismissively, and Daisy relaxed a little bit. “She’d make Webby’s friend Lena do it instead.”

Daisy blinked. “Alright then.” 

Because of course there was someone in the family who could send people to a demon dimension. Duh. 

Donald tilted his head to the side. “You okay?” He asked, looking like he was half expecting her to take off running. 

Daisy took a moment to consider the question. Large close-knit extended family, very over protective. The ghost was a little out of her usual comfort zone, but nothing she couldn’t handle. “I’m okay.” She agreed, then smiled. “The garlic bread smells fantastic.”

“Thanks. I used the oven in the house cause it’s less of a fire risk.” He set it down on on the table with a shy smile, sitting down across from her and motioning to the meal. “Made a couple of extra loaves for everyone else too. Help yourself.” 

They chatted as they ate, and she found herself relaxing, enjoying his company. He talked a little about himself, that he’d trained to be an accountant, but had a hard time keeping a job, first for being the sole caretaker for three active kids on a boat, and then trying to find a 9 to 5 job while all the strangeness that happened with his family. 

She talked about work and fashion, realising with a jolt that she’d been talking for a while, about Dolce and Dodo’s latest collections, comparing and contrasting the Italian versus the French designers. She stopped and glanced over at Donald, afraid she was boring him. Most of her past dates had hated listening to her talk about fashion. 

He had his head resting on a hand, eyes half lidded, beck curled up in what appeared to be a pleased smile. 

“Sorry.” She fiddled with her napkin. “I didn’t mean to get carried away.” 

“I like it.” Donald’s smile grew a little bit bigger, and she realised he was looking at her fondly, not half asleep as she’d originally thought. “I don’t understand half of it, but I like listening to you talk about it. You’re very passionate.” 

“Oh.” Daisy could feel her face heat up. “Thank you. Do you sew?” 

“A little bit. Mostly mending.” He tugged on the buttons of his sailor shirt. “I’m not very fashionable, I haven’t really changed clothing styles since I left the military.” 

She looked at him, and wondered if he’d let her dress him sometime, and how Donald would look in formal wear. Then she remembered he had four kids and wondered if she could make stain-resistant formal wear. 

Something else to think about. 

“The skabetti is good. Where’d you get the recipe?” She asked instead, smiling over the silly name. “It tastes like what I had one time in Milan.” 

His expression lit up, and he talked about a few of his trips to Italy, both with Uncle Scrooge when he was a kid, and later in the military, how he’d picked up a few recipes here and there. And that he made a mean pizza. 

Daisy hoped that this meant that there might be pizza on the horizon in the next couple of weeks. They lingered over their empty plates, and Daisy found herself almost sad that they’d finished eating. 

“Mrs. B baked a pie and I saved us two slices for dessert.” Donald offered. “If you’d like, we can eat it on the deck? It’s a nice view.” 

“I’d be delighted.” She grinned. He grinned back, looking pleased. They left the dishes on the table, Donald grabbing two plates from the oven, and fresh pair of forks, escorting her back up to the deck. 

He was right, it was a lovely view. The breeze was refreshing on her feathers, and she could see the stars overhead, the normal light pollution from the city mostly blocked by the mansion’s walls. 

There were a pair of canvas sling chairs on the deck, sitting side by side. Donald waited until she was seated before handing her a warm plate with a lovely smelling berry pie before sitting next to her. 

“It’s been over an hour and she hasn’t run screaming.” One of the boys voices shouted from above them. “Pay up!” 

“Louie.” Donald groaned as she laughed softly.

“Wait, are they kissing?” Another boy questioned. She looked up to find the one in the red cap leaning out a second story window. Huey, she thought. “Are you two going to kiss?” He demanded. 

“No!” Donald snapped. Daisy blinked, somewhat taken back. ”Not on the first date! Mind your own business!”

Oh. Delight curled in her gut. Old-fashion manners. It suited him down to his feathers. 

“Donald?” She said and he turned to her with a questioning look. She gestured for him to move closer. “Come here.” 

He made a curious noise in the back of his throat, and scooted his chair a little closer. 

She leaned over, brushing her beak across the soft feathers of his cheek. 

“THEY’RE KISSING!” Huey shouted triumphantly at the top of his lungs. From inside the house a series of cheers and gagging noises came forth. 

She giggled, her attention on watching Donald’s cheeks blushing a lovely shade of pink, making a mental note to wear a dress that colour on their next date. 

“So what I’m putting together here is that your family comes as a part of dating you.” Daisy commented, curling her hand around his and giving it a squeeze.

“y-Yeah.” He stuttered a bit. Donald paused, tilting his head to the side as he examined her face. “It’s not too much?”

“Not at all.” She should have figured that out when they first met, considering the circumstances. Daisy grinned. “Wait until you meet my family.” 

She had three nieces of her own that she couldn’t wait to see his reaction to. 

“I’m sure I’ll be a nervous wreck.” He confessed with a laugh. Donald paused and looked over at her, a proud crooked smile on his face. “Where as you handled mine gracefully.” 

“Oh, I was a nervous wreck.” She laughed. “But, you know what they say. _Ducks Don’t Back Down_.” 

Donald stared at her in complete awe, stars sparkling in his eyes. 

“No one **ever** says that!” One of the kids called from upstairs, sounding annoyed. 

“We say it all the time!” Donald angrily shot back. 

“Seriously?” Daisy blinked. 

“Yeah.” Donald turned back towards her and nodded. “Della and I grew up saying it, picked it up from our Dad. Ducks don’t back down.” 

“Huh.” They both had the same last name too. She might need to contact her Mom and do a quick run through the family tree. 

She shrugged and turned her attention to the pie. It had a nice tartness to it, not overly sweet like too many berry pies were. Donald hummed, eating his slice as well. 

“What are they doing now?” One of the kids not-really whispered. 

“Eating pie.”

“ _Booooring_.” 

“What kind of pie?” 

“Can we have pie?” Webby’s cheerful voice inquired. 

There was silence from upstairs for a moment, then footsteps stampeding away. She glanced over at Donald, and found him looking at her. They stared at each other for a second, then started giggling. 

“I may have bribed Mrs. B into making a pie today for just such a reason.” Donald confessed with a playful smirk. “It won’t get us a lot of quiet, but it’ll get us a little.” 

Daisy laughed. “Tricky.” She saluted him with her fork. “I like it.” 

Actually, now that she thought of it, the entire evening had been subtly sneaky. 

Her car was parked out front, by the big doors so she could find it in a hurry. The front doors were easily accessible from the path they’d taken through the house, pretty much a straight shot, in case something did make her uncomfortable enough to run. 

He’d shown her exactly who he was, without polish or subterfuge. Family man, didn’t have a lot of money, had trouble holding down a job, lived in a boat in his Uncle’s back yard, and that his kids were his first priority. 

His family was a bit unconventional and definitely chaotic.

On paper, that wasn’t great. 

But he was honest, and brave. Protective, but not overly so. Had a temper that could match hers. He was kind too, an excellent cook, and he had a good heart. 

He was pretty cute too. She liked his eyes. 

She wasn’t thinking wedding bells just yet, but she definitely wanted to go on more dates with him. Spend more time together and get to know him. 

“This is nice.” Daisy said quietly. She looked over at him. “Thank you for introducing me to your family.” 

“Welcome.” Donald inclined his head. “I’m glad they didn’t scare you off.” 

“It’d take more than that to scare me.” Daisy grinned, showing teeth, and he laughed. 

“Good to know.” He beamed at her. 

“Although, I was thinking?” Daisy offered. “We could have the next date at my place-? I’m not the best cook, but I can certainly throw something together.” 

Dates that they cooked for meant not spending as much eating out, which was obviously a concern for Donald. And she kind of liked the idea of showing off a little. Maybe dig into the fabric stash and see what would look good against his feathers. 

“Next date?” Donald’s eyes wide, almost in shock. “I mean, yes! That sounds fantastic!” 

“Next Friday?” She offered. 

“I can make it work.” He promised, then grimaced. “Probably.” 

“Just let me know.” Daisy assured him. If he couldn’t make it, she doubted it was something within his control.

“Donald.” A new voice called, and Donald sat up in alarm. Daisy straightened up to peer over the edge of the boat and was surprised to see a large purple Moonlander standing there holding what looked to be a butterfly net. “Pardon the interruption, but some Lunar Mice have escaped into the manor.” 

“Lunar Mice?” Donald echoed. 

“They eat gold.” The Moonlander deadpanned. 

“Ooh.” Donald’s eyes went wide. “That’s bad.” 

Daisy remembered how much gold was just laying around the mansion and quietly seconded Donald’s words. 

The Moonlander nodded and ran into the house. “Who’s that?” Daisy asked. She’d thought all the Moonlanders had left after the failed invasion. And she’d never seen one wearing a white button down shirt before. 

“Penumbra.” Donald said as he stood up. “Penny, for short. She’s Della’s roommate.” 

Daisy paused for a moment, thinking back to her first conversation with Della. “Her roommate, or her **_roommate_**?”

“Don’t know, not asking.” Donald said grimly, prompting Daisy to snort in amusement. 

He walked over to the side of the boat and picked up a pool leaf skimmer with an annoyed sigh. 

“Got another one of those?” Daisy asked, setting the half eaten pie aside as she rose. 

One of his eyebrows rose. “Yeah?” He asked, a keen sparkle in his eye. 

Daisy straightened her skirt, smoothing it over her hips. “I’m curious to see how well this dress will stand up to some adventure.” She informed him, head held high in challenge. 

Donald grinned, looking delighted as he tossed her the pole. “Wanna put a wager on it?” He asked as she caught it in both hands. 

“What kind of wager?” Daisy tilted her head to the side, looking at him under her eyelashes. 

Donald pretended to think about it for a moment. “A kiss?” He offered, picking up a second leaf skimmer and holding it against his shoulder like it was a rifle. 

“Giving or receiving?”

That got her a shrug and a broad grin. “Winner’s choice? Either way, it’s a win.” He confessed, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. 

She laughed, charmed at the playfulness. “You’re on.” 

Leaf skimmers held high, they headed into the Mansion, where they were greeted with chaos. Everyone she’d met plus one or two extra were running around, trying to catch the quick gold rodents, each one about the size of a football. 

She and Donald split off, chasing a lunar mouse down what seemed like endless corridors, nets held high and teasing each other as they went. She’d never met anyone she could banter and flirt with at the same time before, and her heart beat a little faster, not just the exhilaration of the chase.

Although she did make a note to see about if there was a way to make heels a bit more friendly for running. 

The thought was enough that she didn’t pay attention to whom she grabbed with her net in pursuit of the lunar mouse.

-Which of course was how she finally met Scrooge McDuck, the much vaunted patriarch of the family. By putting a net over his head and trapping his arms to his sides, because that’s how her luck ran.

“Oh my gosh.” Daisy blurted, instantly mortified. “It’s… Sorry about this. It’s in your hat. Donald? Can you come help?” 

Thankfully, Scrooge had his back to her which meant she didn’t have to look at the Richest Duck in the World’s face, certain that he was going to incinerate her with his gaze. Donald came, placing his net under hers, and together they carefully manoeuvred the net off of Scrooge so that the moon mouse tumbled out of the hat and into Donald’s net. 

Donald growled and grabbed the top of the net with a fist, twisting the netting so the lunar mouse was trapped security in it as Daisy took the top hat out of her net. “Looks like you won.” Donald grinned, not at all displeased to have lost the bet. If anything, he looked proud at her accomplishment.

Daisy laughed, a little breathless with excitement, then tilted her head away from him, tapping her cheek, claiming her prize without a word. With the cutest little blush, Donald lightly pressed his beak against her cheek. 

“So yuir the bonnie lass that me Donald is seeing.” A Scottish burr drew her attention away from Donald and to the face of Scrooge McDuck, and his sharp dark eyes. 

He looked almost smug as he looked her over, which was miracle considering that she’d literally just netted him. She resisted the urge to fidget, to straighten her hair or clothing, which she was sure was rumpled from the chase.

“Yes, sir. Daisy Duck.” She said, straightening her spine and stepping forward to hand the Richest Duck in the World his top hat. 

“Thank you, lass.” Scrooge took it and placed it on his head with a smile. “I’m looking forward to seein’ more of you.” He drawled, voice welcoming. 

With a grin, and with a tip of his hat, he wandered down the hall shouting that one of the lunar mice had been caught, and wanting to know the status of the other one. 

Daisy let out a breath she hadn’t know she was holding, glancing over at Donald who looked happy at the exchange. She was pretty sure she’d just gotten the seal of approval from the World’s Most Powerful Duck. She almost wanted to sit down for a moment. 

“Yeah.” Donald assured her. “He’s a little intimidating at first.” 

“And then he gets less so?” Daisy offered hopefully. Scrooge’s gaze was… intense. She felt like he could somehow read both her past and her future with his eyes. 

Donald laughed, a lovely raspy sound. “No.” 

“... Oh.” 

“But you do get used to it.” Donald grinned, holding his hand out. 

Somehow the words were less of a threat and more of a reassurance. That she would be around long enough for her to get used to it. 

Daisy took his hand, slinging the net over her shoulder with a grin. 

“Bring it.” 

-fin-

Bonus: 

_“Wait, is that gorgon shield the one your uncle had been shouting about earlier? The nose looks fine?”_

_“Yeah, he probably just made that up so the kids and Mrs. B had an excuse to run back upstairs and report back what they thought of you.”_

_“Seriously?”_

_“Oh yeah. Uncle Scrooge and I used to pull that all the time on Della’s dates back in High School. If they reacted badly to Duckworth and me, Uncle Scrooge would come down the stairs ranting about something and scare them off. Worked pretty much every time.”_

_“I suppose having a ghost answer the door is a bit of a surprise.”_

_“What? No! Duckworth wasn’t a ghost back then. That’s a recent development.”_

_“...Huh.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Della hitting on Daisy was inspired by this picture by toonlemon: <https://toonlemon.tumblr.com/post/617668428495568896/shes-just-teasing-himunless>
> 
> You can also find my smaller fics and occasional strange photos at [Ickaimp.tumblr.com](https://ickaimp.tumblr.com/) or see the crazy things I reblog at [Icka-Notes.tumblr.com](http://icka-notes.tumblr.com/)


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